By Karen Van Allen
“We must first think things through for ourselves. That means we listen to that still small voice within so as to cut through the unrealistic ideas we may be trying to live by,” (p. 58) wrote Marsha Sinetar (1988) in her book, Elegant Choices.
I believe that most of us want to hear the still small voice within, but we often have difficulty quieting the ego or monkey mind. What are the roadblocks that prevent us from hearing the guidance that is always available to us? The ego likes to keep our mind busy by continually replaying conversations or reminding us of events that have already taken place. It goes something like this, “The family dinner was a disaster; I can’t believe Uncle Todd was drunk again.” If the ego doesn’t trigger us with the past, it will try to make us worry about the future. For example, “What are you going to do about … “? Living in the past or worrying about the future does not allow us to listen to the still small voice within because we are not in the present moment.
Another ego tactic is to keep our mind spinning with a list of options in response to any question or conflict that preoccupies our thinking mind. It loves to create strategies that are disguised as ways for us to manipulate or control the situation to our advantage.
We can make another choice. Choose to forgive and let go of the story. Forgiveness doesn’t mean that we condone someone’s behavior. It means that I will no longer hold you hostage in my mind. There are times when I am not willing or unable to do this, and I ask for help by turning within and surrendering to a Higher Power. It can be as simple as, “Help me see this person (or situation) differently.” Using this technique has helped me see that I could only perceive my part of the story. It then became easier to let it go.
I practice forgiveness because hearing the still small voice within is more important to me than holding on to a grievance. As Gary R. Renard wrote in The Disappearance of the Universe (2003) “At first, He’s like a whisper in your dream. But then, as you keep practicing forgiveness, His Voice gets louder and clearer,” (pg. 201).
If you want to learn more about forgiveness, consider joining A Course in Miracles study group. We meet in the Education Bldg. on Monday nights from 6:30-8:00 pm. New and continuing students welcome.